


Niima Pet Rescue (A Reylo AU)

by Theyna_Shipper (orphan_account)



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Animal Shelter AU, Anxiety, F/M, First Dates, Fluff, Fluff with occasional interludes for plot, Matt the radar technician is a dog, No Angst, Pet Store, Pet fic, Soft Ben Solo, Texting, aquarium date, maybe just a little, meet cute
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:09:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23708164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/Theyna_Shipper
Summary: Ben Solo decides to foster a dog to keep him company at home. While working with Niima Pet Rescue, he meets Rey.I'm bad at summaries. It's a Reylo Animal Shelter AU with fluff and Soft!Ben.
Relationships: Background finnpoe, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 24
Kudos: 33





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading. Feedback is very much appreciated. This is just a cute AU I wrote to take my mind off things. Not sure how long it will be.

_Dear Ms. Kanata,_

_Your supervisor gave me your address and told me to contact you in regards to my application to foster a pet. I hope I’ve reached the right person in regards to this matter. Please find attached the information requested on your website regarding my living situation, history with animals, etc. Please let me know if anything is missing._

_Thank you,  
Ben Solo_

_Hi Ben!_

_Thank you for your email! Everything was in good order. We’re always happy to have new candidates to foster and are so grateful to those of you who volunteer your time._

_Your application will take some time to process, but if you’d like to take some time to familiarize yourself with the organization- and the animals- we’re having an adoption fair this Saturday at Petco from 10-2, you can drop by and talk to me. It’s not a requirement, but I like having a little ‘interview’ with the candidates for foster._

_Hope to see you soon,  
~Rey☀️_

_Rey,_

_Thanks for getting back to me. I’ll do my best to stop by the adoption fair, probably some time around 11? I’d love to get in touch with those of you at the organization._

_Looking forward to meeting you,  
Ben_

_See you soon!  
~Rey☀️_

Ben scans the crowd for someone who he can talk to, someone who can point him to Rey Kanata. He sees a worker with several kittens crawling on her, and waits for her to finish talking to someone else. 

“Hey, sorry to bother you, I exchanged emails with one of the nonprofit employees and she said to come find her-”

“Oh, you must be Ben Solo! I’m Rey,” she says. The woman turns around to reveal a stunningly pretty face with sparkling brown eyes, framed by curly wisps of hair coming out of her three buns. “I’ll be with you in just a sec. You’ll need to sanitize if you want to pet any of the animals.” She nods at a bottle of hand sanitizer on the table, and he does accordingly. She puts all but one of the kittens back in a cage and unsuccessfully tries to dust some fur from her jacket. “So, I’m Rey,I guess I already told you that though- nice to meet you!” 

She shakes his hand. “So, how’d you hear about Niima pet rescue?”

He forgets how to talk for a moment, the golden flecks in her eyes stealing his focus. “Um, my friend found a dog through you guys. He sent me some stuff from your guys’ Facebook page,” he explains. 

“Ugh, we haven’t updated the Facebook page in months. I’ll have to add some photos from today,” she sighs. “So, who was the friend? Or his dog? I might remember the pet if not the person.”

“His name’s Poe, he has a pomeranian named BeeBee-”

“Oh, BeeBee! I remember her. She was always very demanding of our time.”

“She still is.”

Rey laughs. He’s never seen anyone have this much energy, much less while working. Her laugh is clear and refreshing. “It’s good to hear how the pets are doing after they leave us, I’m so happy to see them find a home but it’s emotional to let any of them go.”

He tries to find something to say. What do people say for small talk? “Do you have any pets of your own?”

“Haven’t in about a year, I mostly just work with the ones at Niima. Sometimes I take home an old or sick dog, one that won’t get adopted, but I haven’t lately.”

“That must be hard, to adopt a pet that you know won’t be around for long,” he remarks. _Dammit, dead dogs are a bit of a conversation killer, Ben._

“It is. But you go into it knowing what to expect, so that helps. And it’s nice to know you gave them somewhere peaceful to- finish up.” 

He nods. They are both silent for a minute as they stop outside one of the cages. Ben reaches in to scratch the ear of one of the dogs, remembering that this is what his parents’ dog liked. 

“So, I was a little surprised when I read about your history with pets,” Rey remarks. “You said your parents got a chocolate lab the year before you moved away, and your uncle had an- ‘extremely sassy cat’?” She laughs a little, quoting the text of one of his emails. “What made you want to get a pet of your own? Or foster, at least?”

The golden retriever puppy in the cage licks his hand. “I work at home, so I’m home by myself a lot, and my friend told me if I ‘wasn’t going to get a girlfriend, at least get a pet or something’. And I talked to my therapist, and he said taking care of a pet can be helpful for anxiety. Sorry, that’s oversharing.”

“No, that’s fine.” Rey stops to adjust the kitten, climbing up behind her neck. “Having a pet can be very beneficial for mental health, it’s certainly helped me. And any particular reason you chose to foster?”

“Well, in case I have to move, or in case a pet just doesn’t work out for me- like you said, I don’t have a lot of experience-”

“Well, fostering often leads to adoption, people get attached and want their pets forever. But having foster volunteers is also wonderful, it’s really necessary to unclog the shelters, and places like Niima.”

“Yes, I meant to ask- do you guys shelter the pets or just work with the shelters?”

“Bit of both. We have some animals on-location at our usual place down the road, but we also work with the local shelters to help home the pets, or just give them excursions. Dio here-” she gestures to the kitten- “Got pulled out of a shelter, he has some respiratory issues and they were going to euthanize him. He still can’t be adopted, not yet, but I bring him out to socialize him.”

Dio swats Ben’s arm, and he reaches out to pet the cat. The kitten relaxes and begins to purr. 

“You’re a real natural with the animals, considering you don’t have any of your own.” Rey smiles at him. 

_She probably says that to everyone,_ he reasons. 

“Any idea what sort of dog you might want to foster? It’s always helpful to have some guidelines for yourself, or else you’ll fall in love with all of them and won’t be able to choose, and then you end up like me.” Dio is now obstinately chewing on her dangling whispers of hair. 

“Not a lot,” he admits. “My apartment has a twenty-pound weight limit, so that narrows it down. And I heard black dogs are less likely to get adopted-”

“Yes, superstition is surprisingly prevalent in making it harder to get black pets adopted.” She keeps interrupting him, but he doesn’t mind. 

“A black dog wouldn’t show shedding on most of my clothes,” he adds with an attempt at humor- Poe is always mocking his monochrome wardrobe. 

Rey laughs again. “That’s helpful.” Someone calls her name, another volunteer. “Well, it’s been great to meet you, Ben, be sure to contact me if you have any more questions. Actually-” she scribbles something on a pamphlet from a desk. “Here’s my work number, I’m better about answering texts. You can ask if you need help deciding which dog to foster, or any other questions. I hope I’ll see you again.” 

She shoves the pamphlet, with her number, into his hands, and turns to go before Ben can respond.

_**Ben: Hi, it’s Ben, we met yesterday at the Niima adoption fair.  
Is this Rey?** _

_**Rey: Hi Ben! Good to hear from you.  
Yep, this is the right number.  
We actually have a dog in with one of our shelter partners right now, who’s looking for a foster home.** _

_**Ben: Great. What sort of dog?** _

_**Rey: His name is Matt, 4-year-old black pomeranian mix, housetrained, crate-trained, and leash-trained.  
Very friendly.  
A bit loud and a little territorial, so you’re warned. ** _

_**Ben: He sounds like a good fit.  
Is there a way to meet him first?** _

_**Rey: Yep!  
I’ll be at the Humane Society with him Wednesday evening, or you can drop by another time by yourself when you’re free. ** _

_**Ben: Wednesday is good.** _

_**Rey: Great! See you there☀️** _

Poe drops by Ben’s apartment to drop off the spare key from when he’d been watering Ben’s plants. He notices the pamphlet from Niima. 

“Hey, you actually took my advice,” he remarks. “I was only joking, but good for you.”

“Maybe you were right, maybe I don’t leave my house enough. Supposedly, pets are good for your health.”

Poe studies the pamphlet. “Hey, who gave you their number? Did you meet someone at this shelter place?”

Ben shakes his head. “She’s just with the nonprofit, she’s helping me out. That’s her work number.”

“Right,” Poe laughs. “I said to get a girlfriend _or_ a dog, but both is good.”

“She’s not-” But Poe is already gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: *reads/writes fic where the characters have the same mental health issues as me* 
> 
> Me: ay free therapy


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we unlock their Tragic Backstories™.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kind comments on the first chapter! Here's another, with more pure cuteness. 
> 
> Is it weird that I haven't had to do much research for this fic even though I've hardly ever worked with an animal nonprofit? Random knowledge does stuff to you.

Rey is once again being harassed by a small animal, this time a white dog, biting her collar as she tries to lower him back into an enclosure, the next time Ben sees her. She eases the dog’s teeth away from her shirt and sets him back down. Dusting her hands off, she turns around and grins at him. “Hey! You’re here earlier than I expected.”

“Are you busy? I can wait-”

“No, you’re fine, just let me wash my hands.” She turns back to him. “Good to see you again.”

“Yeah, you too. Thanks for helping me out.”

“Oh, it’s no problem, I come here every Wednesday. Ready to meet Matt?”

He nods, and Rey leads him down the rows of enclosures. She stops outside a small crate containing a dog that could have been mistaken for a pillow. She unlocks the crate and pulls out the tiny black pomeranian. “He’s very friendly.” 

Ben takes the dog cautiously, the tiny furball squirming aggressively and licking his face. Rey laughs at the pair of them, helping Ben rearrange his grip. “ _Very_ friendly,” he laughs. 

“Try scratching him behind the ears,” Rey suggests. “That calms dogs down.”

Ben does accordingly, and the high-strung dog settles down. “He’s always like that when he meets new people,” she explains. “He calms down after a while. We’re friends now, he doesn’t freak out around me.”

One of the Humane Society volunteers sees them. “You can take him for a walk around the building if you want.”

“You sure?” Rey calls. 

She nods. “We usually don’t, but the animals are all used to you.”

“Thanks, Kaydel!” Rey straps a leash around he dog's neck and hands it to Ben. 

“You sure?”

“You’ll need to get used to it, both of you. Go ahead.”

They walk around the building, Rey stopping to tell him a little about each animal they passed. She is clearly very dedicated to the pets.

“So, how long have you been working with animal rescue?” He asks, with an attempt at casual confirmation. _Why are new people so hard to talk to???/_

“Six years, ever since I got out of college. I majored in business actually, but I’ve always wanted to have a pet of my own, I never did growing up,” she explains. “I was in foster care until I was fifteen. Sometimes one of the families would have a pet, but I rarely got to spend long. Sorry, I’ve gone off on a tangent.”

“It’s fine, I do that enough,” he mutters. “Most people thought of business majors as jerks when I was in college, but you’ve done good with it. Dammit, that sounded better in my head.”

Rey laughs. “Sentiment came across. Thank you. What did you study?”

“Graphic design. I work with an overseas company, that’s why I work from home,” he explains. 

Rey sighs. “I was never much of an artist. Have you done anything, um, famous? I thought I recognized your name when you first emailed me.”

He purses his lips. It’s not an unfair question, although he does grow a little tired of telling this story to every person he meets, as it’s not a pleasant one for him. “Do you remember reading about the insider trading scandal at First Order Enterprises a couple years ago, in the news or whatever?”

“Yeah, I think so?” Rey replies. “The one where that reporter outed the anonymous whistleblower and… oh.”

He nods. “Yeah. That’s why I moved to the West Coast. I wasn’t actually involved in the- stuff- so nothing happened… but I wanted to get out of there.”

Rey smiles. “Well, I’m glad it brought you here, anyways. And I’m sure Matt is, too.” 

The dog looks up at the sound of his name. “You’ve got an optimistic worldview.”

“It’s a harsh world. You need one.”

“That turned pessimistic very quickly,” he remarks. 

She shrugs. “Just realistic. Do you want to philosophize or walk the dog?”

He smiles slightly. “We can’t do both?”

Rey shakes her head and laughs- she laughs a lot. He likes making her laugh. “We’d better bring him inside.”

They return Matt- who is sorry to see them go- to his crate, and Rey walks with him out to their cars, as they’re both leaving at the same time. 

“It was great to see you again, Ben. We’ll continue to email you about the foster process. You and Matt seemed to get along well.”

“Good to see you too. Thank you so much for all the help. I’ll see you- sometime?” he says awkwardly. 

“Definitely. Be sure to text me if you need any more help with pet care. In fact-” she scribbles something down on another pamphlet- “Here’s my personal number, I’ll be better about answering that. Bye!”

_**Poe: Dude, she gave you her number.  
She likes you.  
Ask her out or something!** _

_**Ben: I think you might be reading into this.  
She just said to text her about the dog. ** _

_**Poe: SHE USED THAT AS AN OPENER.  
Dammit Solo you’re useless.** _

_**Ben: You forget I have not been on a date since I left New York.** _

_**Poe: There’s no time like the present.** _

_**Rey: Hi Ben!  
So everything’s gone through, you saw my email.  
When will you be ready to move him in?** _

_**Ben: Probably Saturday?  
I have all the stuff.  
Wait that sounds like I’m selling drugs.  
You know what I mean. ** _

_**Rey: XD  
Yes.  
I’ll see you Saturday! Will you need any help with anything else?** _

_**Ben: Not immediately?  
I mean, I can still text you, right?** _

_**Rey: If I can keep texting you :)  
Remember Dio, that cat I had when we met?  
He’s my forever-pet now.  
I’m looking forward to having someone else at home now. ** _

_**Ben: That’s great. I’m sure he’ll love it there.  
Although admittedly I don’t know much about cats. ** _

_**Rey: Funny. You struck me as a cat person when we met, but it’s always impossible to tell.** _

_**Ben: Cats don’t *need* you, though.  
So they’re less satisfying to take care of. ** _

_**Rey: True.  
Anyway, great to talk to you! See you Saturday, looking forward to it ☀️** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay safe and healthy! I love hearing from y'all in the comments!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the kind comments! Please enjoy another very pure chapter. This one's mostly texts, as I'm still playing around with the format.

Ben is fairly certain he will never see Rey without some form of miniature furry animal crawling on her- the third time he sees her, at Niima Pet Rescue, she is this time encumbered by a very large and angry ginger cat. 

“Sorry,” she grumbles. “I’ll be with you in just a sec.”

The cat screams in protest as he is returned to a bed. Rey mutters hurried apologies and quick pats as she turns back to Ben. 

“He seems tempermental,” Ben notes. 

“He’s a cat,” Rey replies. “He likes his own way.”

Ben nods. “Sounds about right, in my experience.”

“Yeah, you mentioned your uncle had a cat. What’s she like?”

“A little clingy, a little fussy. I think I have a picture of her.” He showed Rey a photo of the cat.

“Oh wow! She’s really pretty.” Ben knew, at some point, that the cat is some kind of rare breed, but never really thinks about it. “Is she a Russian Blue?”

“I think so? That sounds right.”

“What’s her name?”

“Dee Two. Named for Dee One.”

Rey laughs. “Well, let’s get you settled with Matt!”

After some final paperwork and packing up, Matt is in a crate in Ben’s car, and Rey is saying good-bye. Remembering what Poe told him, he tries to find anything else to say, but Rey saves him from further awkwardness by speaking first. “So, are you on Instagram or anywhere? Maybe I can follow you, so I can see how you and Matt are doing? It’s nice to keep in touch with the pets, as it were.”

“Oh, yeah.” He shows her his account. “I pretty much never post, Poe just made me get it- but I’ll try.”

Rey smiles widely. “Thanks! Keep in touch, if I don’t see you again.”

“Definitely.”

_bensolo  
Picture at 2:35 P.M.  
I know I don’t post much- or ever- but a friend asked me to share pictures of Matt, so here you go, @JustRey☀️_

_JustRey☀️: Thank you! He looks great  
poeDAMNeron: Hey you finally posted_

_**Ben: Hey, sorry if this is weird.  
But do you want to go out some time?** _

_**Rey: Like on a date?** _

_**Ben: If you want.  
If you don’t that’s fine too.  
Sorrysorrysorry. ** _

_**Rey: Let me finish typing!  
I’d love to. ** _

_**Ben: That’s great!** _

_**Rey: So, where are you taking me?** _

_**Ben: /I-don’t-know-I-didn’t-think-I’d-get-this-far.gif/** _

_**Rey: Seriously?** _

_**Ben: I haven’t asked anyone out in like 5 years?  
So yes, seriously. ** _

_**Rey: I haven’t been on a date in a while either TBH.  
So we’re on equal footing I guess?  
My question still stands ;)** _

_**Ben: Is there anywhere you want to go?** _

_**Rey: YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO PICK.  
YOU ASKED ME.** _

_**Ben: Sorry!  
Do you like aquariums?** _

_**Rey: Do you know what will happen if you take me to an aquarium?** _

_**Ben: No?** _

_**Rey: I’ll forget you’re there and spend the entire time watching the fish.** _

_**Ben: Perfect, then I can watch you have fun and be spared the mortifying ordeal of trying to make conversation.** _

_**Rey: That came out a little creepier than was probably intended but the sentiment still came through.** _

_**Ben: Story of my life.** _

_**Rey: I’d love to go to the aquarium with you.  
But you have been warned. ** _

_**Ben: As have you.** _

_**Rey: :) See you soon ☀️** _

__

_**Poe: HA I was right.** _

_**Ben: Don’t do that.** _

_**Poe: But I was right.  
Maybe don’t doubt me from now. ** _

_**Ben: I will definitely continue to doubt you.** _

“You met a guy helping him to adopt a dog? Is this a normal way to meet people now?”

“No, Rose, it’s not,” Rey sighs to her friend. “But then again, not a lot of young single men adopt dogs. So they’re statistically in line. Now be happy for me!”

“Nerd. And yes, I’m happy for you.”

“Good, because you need to help me prepare for our date on Sunday, he’s taking me to an aquarium.”

“An aquarium? No offense, but this whole story is sounding a little one note.”

“Shut up. Dogs and fish are _very_ different.”

Rose laughs. “Sure. And I’ll help you get prepped or whatever. I _am_ happy for you. The circumstances are just a little- odd. This guy sounds nice. And he’s got a dog, so you know he’s sensitive and-”

“Shut up! It’s just a date.”

“You’ve got to think long term, sweetie,” Rose chirps. 

_**Rey: Do you ever regret telling anyone anything about your life?** _

_**Ben: Constantly.  
Why?** _

_**Rey: Just my friends lol.  
Never tell anyone you’re going on a date. ** _

_**Ben: Universal truth.** _

_**Rey: I’m allowed to text you before the date, right?  
That’s not against the rules?** _

_**Ben: I sincerely hope there aren’t special rules.** _

_**Rey: I think there are.  
But I don’t like them.  
If I like someone enough to go on a date I want to talk to them!** _

_**Ben: Thank you.** _

_**Rey: (:  
Dating culture is kind of weird.  
But it’s this or get offered twelve goats for my hand.  
And while I do love goats, that’s even more weird. ** _

_**Ben: I wish I knew how to respond to that.  
** It’s not ideal, I agree.  
But it does seem to be the best thing we’ve come up with so far.  
Including the goat system. _

_**Rey: I haven’t ruled out the goat system, per se.** _

_**Ben: I’ll keep that in mind.** _

_**Rey: Let’s stick with the aquarium for now.** _

_**Ben: That sounds good too.** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback appreciated! I'm adding in some new characters.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back at it with another chapter! If you hadn't noticed, this fic is very plot-light, so the chapters will be a little shorter. Please enjoy!

_She looks really pretty,_ Ben thinks when he sees her approaching. She always looks nice, but she’s not wearing her usual bright blue vest, nor surrounded by a cloud of animal hair, and her usual three buns are replaced by a casual half-updo that reaches to her shoulders. She is wearing a yellow blouse with a denim skirt, making her stand out like sunshine. 

He doesn’t realize he’d been staring until she is barely a foot away from him. “Oh. Hi.”

She smiles widely back, enhancing the _sunshine_ rolling off her. “Hi.”

“Um... how are you doing?”

“Great, how about you?”

_Does she ever stop smiling?_ “Fine.”

They stand together in awkward silence for a few minutes before Rey gestures to the building. “Shall we go in?”

“Right, yeah.”

They pay their entry, and she grabs his arm. “You didn’t have to pay for me. Really. I’m-”

“It’s fine,” he assures her.

“No, really, we don’t need to do the ‘guy always pays’ thing-”

“I think whoever asks should pay? And I asked…”

“Oh.” Rey flushes. “That actually makes a lot of sense.”

“Yeah…”

She keeps her promise to completely forget anyone else is there and just get enthralled by the fish. She meanders slowly through the place, pausing for several minutes in front of each exhibit occasionally making a comment but mostly just staring. 

This suits Ben just fine. He doesn’t have to struggle to make conversation except for the occasional comment or agreement. And in the meantime, as Rey is completely enchanted by whatever underwater creature she is looking at, Ben studies her face and smile, and the different ways her eyes seem to sparkle under different lights, always the faintest gold tinge underneath the brown. 

He always focuses on people’s eyes when he talks, because it makes him look engaged, when he is actually deconstructing the different colors in the iris. He has learned that almost no one has one word that can describe their eyes, and ‘brown’ certainly does not do justice to Rey’s. 

“Ben? Did you hear me?”

“Hm?”

He snaps out of his reverie. 

“Which one is your favorite?”

He peers into the tank of brightly colored fish. A largish orange one flits into view and catches his attention. “That one.”

“That’s a pretty color,” she agrees. “I like the sea stars.”

“But… they don’t do anything.”

“Exactly. They don’t have to do anything. They’re just sitting there being pretty. And they’re really resilient.”

“It’s like the lizards… they can lose an arm or something.”

She nods. “Yeah. And it grows back.”

She moves on, and Ben trails after her, still thinking about the sea stars, and why Rey likes something resilient so much.

It is late afternoon when they emerge into the sunlight. He realizes that for once, he _has_ seen Rey without an animal crawling on her shoulder, and she looks just as wonderful either way. “I had a great time. Thanks for taking me.”

“Yeah, I did too.” _I kind of want to kiss you._ But he doesn’t; he hadn’t even tried to hold her hand earlier “Maybe… again sometime?”

“Oh. Yeah, absolutely! Text me?”

“Of course.”

Ben walks her walk off, a little slower, to the bus stop, and sincerely hopes he did this right.

_**Rey: Thanks again.  
I feel like I barely talked the entire time, sorry.   
But it was still nice?** _

_**Ben: Yes.  
I’m glad you had fun.  
I can never tell when you’re enjoying yourself.** _

_**Rey: ?** _

_**Ben: You’re always smiling.  
So it’s hard to tell when it’s something special.** _

_**Rey: I only smile when I’m around things I like.** _

_**Ben: But you were smiling even when we were just talking outside.** _

_**Rey: Yeah.** _

__**Ben: ?  
OH.   
Thanks. **

_**Rey: Yeah ;)** _


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you like Ben taking care of sick Rey cus I sure as heck do

Rey goes on two more dates with Ben, and texts him often in between. She barely remembers what this is like; the last boyfriend she had was Finn, and they were friends before and after dating. 

Everything _clicks_ with Ben, though. He responds to her texts quickly, not waiting to not seem ‘too eager’. He’s clearly a night owl, often messaging her late at night with something cute and random, almost daily now. And pictures of Matt. Twice, now, he’s stopped by the rescue to play with the animals, which Rose greatly enjoyed. 

Today, though, Rey is too sick to do anything except respond to his _Good morning, how are you doing?_ with her own _Terrible, thanks._

_**Ben: What’s wrong?  
Are you OK?** _

_**Rey: Just a cold.  
But I can’t do anything :(** _

_**Ben: Do you want me to bring you soup or something?  
I can.** _

_**Rey: You don’t  
Have to  
…  
You’re in your car already aren’t you.** _

_**Ben: Possibly.** _

_**Rey: <3 See you soon.  
I’ll unlock the door for you.** _

Rey is half-asleep when Ben arrives but is jolted back awake by the sound of the door opening. “Rey?” he calls.

“Over here,” she replies. “Thanks for coming. You really didn’t have to. I don’t want you to get sick too.”

He smiles shyly. “I wanted to see you. I don’t mind.”

Rey huddles deeper into her blankets. “Keep me company. I haven’t seen anyone and Dio chooses now to be moody.”

He sits next to her on the couch. “This is why I’m not a cat person,” he mutters. Rey laughs weakly. “Do you have a fever?”

She shakes her head. “Just congested. And tired. You said you had soup?”

He nods, and hands her the thermos of soup, which she begins to sip slowly. “You should get some sleep,” he tells her. 

She groans. “I hate sleeping during the day. It just feels- wrong.”

“But you’re sick,” he sighs. “Get some rest.”

“Convince me,” she says with a small smirk. 

“What?”

“Convince me to get some sleep.”

He pauses for a moment, then lies down next to her on the couch and wraps an arm around her waist. “This better?”

“Mmhm,” she hums contentedly as she nuzzles into the blankets.


End file.
